The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-02-18
OLD sErTLER's NEErING.


Mr.. Moses; followed by an address by
Rev. Mr.. Conrad. Among other things
Mr.. Conrad said:
Ny friendsl Ny fellow citizensl My
Young friends! Ny old friends! Ii Is not
my own choice that come here to-day.
However | feel proud 10 address this
| shall not give long speech,
| shall deal mostly in generalities and
of the past. Thirty years
ago this country was first settled by q
colony OF emigrants from the East, who
each look back 10 sc as the year of their
arrival of this land of promise. We had
heard of the beautiful prsIries and we
were induced 10 come. 1t WAS then to
us & great country on the borders OF the
Great American Desert. Our only post
office in those days WAS MRnkato. On
one Of our trips 10 market for provisions
Joe Sprague, 1iilOtson and myself
brought home some cats. Cats were
worth dollar piece in those days.
There was but one house on the Cobb
river then. The following winter was
very severe, this winter Is 4 good deal
ike it. Change Was very scarce in those
days. That man Sherman gave me q
~ goods. Men trusted each other then.
SIS for 800 pounds OF pork. Only three
women didn't want to leave the country.
We had lots of gravy. The simplest re.
trouble 10 make gravy. | never wished
We thought that We were on the frontier,
. haN To-, ~ Of 4
Desert. After these trials came the
yreSt Indian scare in 1862. Now the
Scripture tells about seven women TAX
ing bold of one man; but then it was
seven men talking hold of one woman,
trying 10 get her out Of the country. But
the fright was soon over and We came
back 10 the country. The hardship who
called it hardship? These Young peo-
pie do not know the happiness of riding
in an OK team with no room TO choose,
when we had to travel in an OK team or
no team at all. l never complained OF
hard times and will not yet. I shall
never forget the first time we went TO
see Mr.. Dobie's people. In those days
it was not hard TO get half dozen to 90
home with us to dinner, but see how
hard il is now. We converted the prai-
RES into arrable soil. We really drove
out the Indians. We do not claim it is
an honor, but We claim it is fact. We
were on the frontier then. There is no
frontier now. We are here to-day old
friends. Here We have lived together and
We are now as ever stimulated by each
other. We want to know each mans
mind before 80 years more will sweep
away. Still / would liketo live for &C
- IL -.
before the Lord. There is before US on
ly one more river to cross. We have
crossed the 'Rubican" of life. Let US
live 10 meet hereafter with those who
have gone before Us.
"Hall My Country" was sung by the
choir.
Mr.. Dobie said: Mr.. Chairman, Ladies
and Gentlemen:-
have nothing but what is on the dark
side of the picture. | had some few
hundred dollars, not thousand, and
1900 pounds of clothing. About the 9th
of September my wife told me that the
house was on fire. We saved nothing
but what clothes we had on our backs
but when the fire was started it was al.
most impossible to get anything out.
hitched my OK team and took my wife
and children to a neighbor. She counted
them 10 see if they were all there, she
was so excited she counted several times
So went and put the logs together
and made another house and covered il
with dirt. Before it was covered with
straw. That winter had my first ex,
perience in blizzard. | must say that
We must give credit 10 Mr.. Conrad fol
4 a1a
would. Mr.. Conrad is good man,
am not giving taffy for do not deal IL
the article,
IL. DrUEy, d Good IhQnieJ. here 70
sponded to a call by giving "The Sons
of the Cobbler," pantomimic song.
Rev. Mr.. Pratt said society is what We
make it. We read with interest of the
Pilgrim fathers and the Quakers. They
have left their stamp upon the Older
States. Now just look my friends for 9
moment; we are living here in peace
certain no nation can drive US out, and
then look 1T the terrible scenes Of com,
plant and feeble protection of the Law
of other countries. Our hope is to cul
tiyate good morals and good manners in
our youth.
Mr.. Randall told fish story. He said
that as fish caused the government some
concern, it Was a proper subject for dis,
cussion. Norman Jackson had said thai
in the lake next to his house fish were
so thick they kept him awake all night
with their clatter. He then told Of q
very mean Indian. "White Rabbit was
30 mean that he couldn't get q certain
writing from the agent which he wanted
Some white man offered TO forge him
one If he would compose the writing
The following is the result: white Rab-
bit thinks he is good lnjun, never steal
pony. Sioux steal um."
Joe w. Sprague said, havn't much To
say. We had three natural enemies
rattle snakes, mosquitoes and Indians, i
got 20 dollars for my first crop. Bought
oats at 70 cents, soWed them and thresh-
ed bushels for crop worth % cents
per busbel. Those were really pretty
tough times. / made Mr.. Conrad 3 sled,
It was entirely of wood. There didn't
use to be many horses here then. The
young ladies used to ride On OK back
and for fear they would fall they would
ride with foot on each aide. Don't tell
me those were good times, they were
pretty though
Mr.. s. NJ. Keith said: Mr.. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen:--I came here in
1850. | came here with plenty to 1--we
on for year. Dave Smith lived here
then. The people who live in a country
Is what makes 1t. The country around
Mapleton was q mud hole in those days
When came here ] had two covered
wagons. | went to Vernon and got
enough lumber in day to build house
Rev. Mr.. McLeRoy said, have known
something of pioneer life, for my father
was a pioneer in Michigan when ! waG
a small boy. He followed by giving
some good advice to the young people
Mr.. Plymat said in addressing the
pioneers of IS: Mr.. President-These
are noble men and women. Like Mar.
shall Ney when he first attracted the at.
tention of Napoleon in answer TO the
question, who are you? replied, an
the remnant of the rear guard. So these
are the remnants of the advance guard
They have laid the rock foundations oil
our institutions and we must do them
honor.
Here followed an adjournment 70
supper, which was followed by an even.
ing session.
EVENING SESSION.
The meeting Was called to order BY
The chairman at 7:30 p. m.